Natural parental instincts cause an intrinsic need to better our children in every way possible, be it through education, worth ethic or simply morals. It is for this reason, that as parents we frown upon the excessive playing of video games by our children, as it has been embedded in society that doing so does not benefit our children in any way whatsoever. But why do we have this belief? What complete evidence has been put in front of us, which disproves of video games having any benefit at all, I say, none.
We have been lulled into a false sense of ideals, which causes our own thoughts to become superfluous. Do not get me wrong, there is a solid base behind the thought of video games being bad and in the case of most barbaric games there are very few upsides. Also we should not condone excessive amounts of playing time, as there are many beneficial ways children can spend their free time, aside from video games.
You may see my argument to have become slightly contradictory and I suppose in some ways it has. I am not trying to change your beliefs, or promote the idea of playing video games; I am simply discussing the proven benefits of playing video games, for your child.
Brain Development
It has been proven that the strategic element featured in some video games, causes a mental stimulation, which directly improves you child’s decision making process. Many puzzle based games will have the element of strategy which is needed. Remember we do not need to see the label “education” attached to the game, to take benefits away from it.
Socialising
For many an awkward child, myself for example, making friends was not that easy. For some youths the easiest method to build a relationship with someone may be through video games. Granted, it will do your children a world of good, to embrace their inner extrovert and become the life to the part. But this just isn’t possible for some; many people need the shield of a television screen and the alter ego of a video game character, to build a rapport with someone.
Aside from this, video games make it very easy for children to stay in contact with their current friends, with the free to use service of video games.
Finance
Okay, this is going to seem very extreme and farfetched to many of you, but one of our biggest concerns is saving for our child’s future, so hear me out! For many pre-teens, teenagers and young adults, video games are their career and some of them are rewarded very handsomely. No, I’m suggesting your child pursue a professional video game career, I am just pointing out that it may be a viable option for them to earn some extra money. This is obviously subjective to the age of your child and the game that they are playing. A game I’m sure many of you have never heard of is, league of legends, quickly becoming the most played game on the planet, there is serious money to be made within this game. The best professional players are millionaires, with very good players able to sell their account for hundreds if not thousands of dollars (check out leagueoftrading.com if you don’t believe me!)
Leadership
I assume you all think of your children as leaders, you may have even told them they would be president one day, who am I to say they won’t be. Well, if they’re going to be president, we may as well begin preparing them for their presidential duties. Many team games, require a player to take on the role as leader, where they must instruct their team on necessary action and lead their peers to victory.
Jamal Asskoumi – Journalist, Blogger, Video Game Lover and Entrepreneur
